Michael Wolff writes in his book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," that the fate of Rex Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of State, was sealed by the revelation that he had called the president "a [expletive] moron." less

Michael Wolff writes in his book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," that the fate of Rex Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of State, was sealed by the revelation that he had called the president "a ... more

Photo: Chris Kleponis

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stand before President Donald Trump gives his State of the Union address in January. less

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stand before President Donald Trump gives his State of the Union ... more

Photo: Win McNamee, Associated Press

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With Tillerson at his right, President Donald Trump prays during a cabinet meeting at the White House in December.

With Tillerson at his right, President Donald Trump prays during a cabinet meeting at the White House in December.

Photo: Evan Vucci, STF

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Tillerson listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting in October.

Tillerson listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting in October.

Photo: Evan Vucci, STF

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Tillerson had worked for Exxon since 1975, becoming CEO in 2006. He cut ties with the company when he became secretary of state in 2017.

Tillerson had worked for Exxon since 1975, becoming CEO in 2006. He cut ties with the company when he became secretary of state in 2017.

Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta, STF

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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, left, speaks with President Donald Trump during a meeting with leaders at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit﻿ in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.﻿

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, left, speaks with President Donald Trump during a meeting with leaders at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit﻿ in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.﻿

Photo: Evan Vucci, STF

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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski speak with representatives of Alaska Native groups at an Arctic Council event in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski speak with representatives of Alaska Native groups at an Arctic Council event in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Photo: Mark Thiessen, STF

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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson exits his limousine before a February 2017 trip to Mexico.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson exits his limousine before a February 2017 trip to Mexico.

Photo: Carlos Barria, POOL

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Tillerson met with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing in March 2017.

Tillerson met with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing in March 2017.

Photo: Lintao Zhang, POOL

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Rex Tillerson is sworn in as secretary of state on Feb. 1, 2017, as his wife, Renda St. Clair, holds the Bible during a ceremony in the White House.

Rex Tillerson is sworn in as secretary of state on Feb. 1, 2017, as his wife, Renda St. Clair, holds the Bible during a ceremony in the White House.

Photo: Michael Reynolds

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Tillerson meets with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., after the former Exxon CEO was nominated to be secretary of state in January 2017.

Tillerson meets with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., after the former Exxon CEO was nominated to be secretary of state in January 2017.

Photo: Andrew Harrer, Bloomberg

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Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Tillerson in 2012, as the then-CEO of Exxon signed a deal with Russian state-owened oil company Rosneft at the Black Sea port of Tuapse in southern Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Tillerson in 2012, as the then-CEO of Exxon signed a deal with Russian state-owened oil company Rosneft at the Black Sea port of Tuapse in southern Russia.

Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev, POOL

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Former Exxon CEO Tillerson out as secretary of state

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WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was replacing Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, just over a year into the former Exxon Mobil CEO's tenure.

"Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job!," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service!"

Speaking with reporters at the White House after the announcement, Trump said he and Tillerson, "disagreed on things."

"When you look at the Iran deal; I think it's terrible, I guess he thought it was OK," Trump said before boarding the Marine One helicopter. "We were not thinking the same. With Mike Pompeo, we have a similar thought process."

The news follows what had been a difficult tenure for Tillerson, who fought to keep pace with a president who liked to conduct foreign affairs through his Twitter account, and struggled to get key positions within the State Department filled.

During a press conference in Washington Tuesday, Tillerson said Trump had called him from Air Force One a little after 12 p.m., hours after the president's tweet he was being replaced.

"What is most important is to ensure an orderly and smooth transition during a time the country continues to face significant policy and national security challenges," Tillerson said.

President Donald Trump has "total confidence" in Mike Pompeo, his new pick for Secretary of State. Trump announced Tuesday that he has fired Tillerson and was replacing him with Mike Pompeo, currently the CIA director. (March 13)

Media: Associated Press

Speculation on when Tillerson would leave has been a topic within Wasington political circles for months. Last year NBC News reported Tillerson called Trump a "moron" after a meeting at the Pentagon and had to be talked out of quitting by other members of the administration.

America's top diplomat under President Donald Trump, former Exxon Mobile CEO Rex Tillerson, grappled with crafting new foreign policy as the new White House occupant stuck to his election platform of "Make America Great Again." (March 13)

Media: Associated Press

Richard Fisher, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and a friend of Tillerson's, said Tuesday the president's public firing of Tillerson through Twitter was "Trump to the nth degree."

"Treating someone of this distinction and magnitude in this manner is certainly distasteful and disrespectful," he said. "I wish the president had a different sense of style."

Before joining the Trump administration last year, Tillerson spent more than a decade leading Exxon - a position that seemed the culmination of a decades-long career at the Texas-based oil giant.

His nomination by Trump followed recommendations by former secretaries of state Bob Gates and Condoleezza Rice and seemed to assuage some nerves about how a president with no experience in public office would handle foreign affairs.

As the CEO of Exxon, one the world's biggest companies, Tillerson had extensive experience negotiation with foreign leaders, particularly in trouble spots, such as the Middle East, and in Russia, where President Vladmir Putin had awarded him a state honor.

"He falls squarely in the classic American realpolitick model of foreign policy," John Hamre, president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said last year. Tillerson had been a board member of the Washington think tank.

But once in office, Tillerson struggled. His pick to be No. 2 at the State Department, Elliot Abrams, who had served in the Reagan and Bush administrations, was critical of Trump during the presidential campaign and was ultimately rejected by the administration.

His statements were frequently undercut by Trump. When Tillerson suggested diplomatic approaches to the North Korea's nuclear threat, Trump slapped them down, calling them a waste of time. Trump's decision to meet with the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un was reportedly made without consulting Tillerson.

"Tillerson was used to a world where he had more control than one has as secretary of state," said Jon Alterman, a state department official under former president George W. Bush and now vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. "You just try to nudge the ball one way or another, but you're not in control."

Tillerson favored the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by former president Barack Obama, while Trump harshly criticized and threatened to leave it. Tillerson also supported U.S. participation in the Paris climate accords; Trump withdrew the country from the international agreement.

Drawing on his experience at one of the world's largest oil companies, Tillerson set out to overhaul the State Department. But his efforts at streamlining were met with resistance from career diplomats, many of whom chose to leave the department.

In a media briefing last year, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert acknowledged a morale issue but defended Tillerson, saying he was collaborating with veteran members of the department.

"That's why I say, you know, 'Folks, hang in there,' " she said. "We have a lot of work to be done. Please don't give up."

Congressional reaction to Tillerson's sacking was largely muted Tuesday, with several top Republicans, including some from Texas, limiting their remarks to praising his integrity and wishing him well.

"I wish him the very best in his next endeavor and welcome him home to Texas," said Rep. Pete Olson, R-Pearland.

Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, told reporters he was surprised by Tillerson's firing, saying the White House gave him no advance notice. He added that he found out by news alerts on his phone.

"Rex Tillerson is a great American and I'm sorry to see him go," Cornyn said.